Ubuntu... and Thank you

Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are

The power of connection, gratitude, and the people who help us become who we are.

None of us gets where we are entirely on our own.

Every success, every lesson, and every challenge we've overcome has been shaped, in some way, by the people around us. Some have encouraged us, others have challenged us, and a few have helped us through moments when we couldn't see a way forward.

There's a beautiful African philosophy that captures this truth: Ubuntu.

I first encountered Ubuntu through the Boston Celtics. During the 2007–2008 season, head coach Doc Rivers introduced it as a guiding philosophy for the team. It became so central to their championship run that the word was inscribed on their 2008 championship rings.

But you don't have to be a Celtics fan, or even a basketball fan, to appreciate its meaning.

Ubuntu comes from the Zulu expression Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, meaning a person is a person through other people. It's often expressed simply as:

"I am because we are."

It's the recognition that our humanity, our accomplishments, and our well-being are inseparable from those of others.

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu beautifully described Ubuntu when he wrote:

"My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours. We belong in a bundle of life."

The Upper Room

We are shaped by the people around us

When I look back on my life, I see countless people who helped me become who I am today.

From experiencing homelessness as a teenager and finding my way through recovery to surviving cancer and receiving a life-saving liver transplant, I've learned that strength isn't always about what we can accomplish independently. Sometimes, it's about allowing others to help carry us when we cannot carry ourselves.

I'm grateful for the family, friends, mentors, educators, and healthcare professionals who have invested in me. Some gave me opportunities. Others offered encouragement, challenged my thinking, or simply showed up when I needed someone.

I could never adequately thank them all. And if I tried to name everyone, I'd inevitably leave someone out.

I'm equally grateful for the thousands of people I've had the privilege of teaching, coaching, and learning alongside throughout my career in financial education.

There's a Latin phrase, Docendo discimus, meaning "by teaching, we learn."

I've found that to be profoundly true. Every person I've taught has had something to teach me in return.

Our success is never ours alone

Even in personal finance, where we emphasize individual responsibility, discipline, and independence, we can overlook how much our circumstances and relationships influence our opportunities.

A mentor who sees potential in us. A teacher who refuses to give up on us. A friend who helps us through a financial crisis. Someone who opens a door we didn't know existed.

These relationships can change the trajectory of a life.

Interestingly, Adam Smith, the Scottish economist often called the father of modern capitalism, also emphasized our responsibility to one another.

In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, he wrote about the importance of feeling for others, restraining selfishness, and cultivating benevolence as essential qualities of human nature.

Stanford University

Our financial success and personal accomplishments matter. But so does what we do with them, whom we help along the way, and how we contribute to the well-being of others.

Gratitude is something we practice

I've been given far more than I could ever repay.

And perhaps that's the point. Gratitude isn't simply about acknowledging what others have done for us. It's about allowing their generosity to influence how we treat the next person.

It's recognizing that we all have something to give, even when we don't have much. Sometimes, the most valuable things we can offer are our time, attention, encouragement, or willingness to show up.

I strive to give more than I take, not because I owe the world a debt, but because I know how profoundly others have influenced my life.

Ubuntu reminds me that our lives are interconnected. When we invest in the well-being of others, we strengthen the communities to which we all belong.

I am because we are.

Who helped you become the person you are today? And whose life might be different because you took the time to help them?

Thank you!

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About Matt Paradise

Matt Paradise is a healthcare keynote speaker, financial educator, and seven-time award-winning author of Financially Capable: A Friendly Guide to Building Whole-Health Wealth.

From homelessness and addiction recovery to surviving rare cancer and receiving a life-saving liver transplant, Matt brings a deeply personal perspective to resilience, financial well-being, and the human capacity to navigate life's challenges.

As a patient, caregiver, and advocate, he helps healthcare leaders understand how the pressures people carry affect their ability to work, care, and thrive. Through his writing and speaking, Matt explores the connection between workforce well-being, financial stability, leadership, and patient experience.

His guiding belief is simple: Care Follows Capacity.

Learn more about Matt's speaking, writing, and advocacy at mattparadise.com